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Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Food and wine can be mysterious or just fun. Sure certain foods and wines are going to pair better together than others. But it really is a journey. You taste, make mental note and are always seeking food/wine nirvana. If given a choice, I don't care what food you have going on Howard is going to opt for a red to go with it. Though I mostly like whites, sometimes I will choose a red or reddish. As in this case I think it was the way the berries in the Pommes and Berries played off the cantelope. Although given my druthers, I'd make mental note and probably opt for my traditional Pear with the seafood next time. Be sure to check out our expanded Library page, that now includes Food Pairing and Winemakers Notes.

Monday, November 2, 2015

Wow this was an awesome year. We had an incredible garden, with tomatoes galore and lettuces, etc. I was just foraging thru the garden yesterday and munching on kale and broccoli. And the tomatoes wouldn't quit, I ended up making some savory Tomato Jam. I found a recipe online and began to play.

In the pic above we had BLTs and as you can see these were our tomatoes all soft and luscious full of flavor, very much unlike the ones we pretty much refuse to buy from the store. We had this with our Oregon Blush Honey wine (a little sweet and a little acidic, yum).

We've had a full year running around at the Gresham Farmers Market on the weekends (yes, I know I petered out and missed the entire month of October, but I guess I have to admit, I'm getting a little older, ugh, it happens). The market was a lot of fun, with the new market manager Amelia Salvador. She worked to juggle the vendors to make for a nice market.

I also had a good time this year with the Spiral Gallery in Estacada, with their VineArt classes. Yes, I poured the wines, but they also gave me the opportunity to join in some of their classes and I got to learn some watercolors (with Connie Athman) and acrylics (with Kerrie Hubbard), some jewelry making (with Sue Dumolt), and as you can see in the pic above, some ceramics (with Am Griswold). To be honest I wasn't sure I wanted to do ceramics, but if I may say, I think it was the most fun of the classes, I think for me because I hadn't done it before and the platter turned out so beautiful. As you'll see below there is still time to get in some classes at the gallery. I think the holiday ones will be a lot of fun, especially the ones where you get a chance to make your very own art for holiday cards.

(As I'm sure you notice, I drop names like all get out. It is only because these are people who put there heart and soul into that which they do, and I want to be sure I "let the world know" I appreciate them and think what they do is awesome.)

So here's the list of where we'll be with our wines in November and I'm including the first part of December in case I don't get around to sending out a newsletter in early December.

NW Creations and Collectibles
Gresham Town Fair
364 NW Eastman Parkway, Gresham, OR 97030 503-907-3008 nwcreationsandcollectible.com
Monday November 2th, 2-5pm
Thursday November 5th, 2-5pm
Monday November 16th, 2-5pm
Tuesdays December 8th , 15th, and 22nd 2-5pm
Ok, so I don't yet have a date for wine tasting, but I'll be hanging out at the store during these hours to help out with the store and you can check out some of the goats milk soaps, honeys, and handcream Star (your local winemaker) has available at the store.
*check out their website to see the cool gifts they have available in the store.

Spiral Gallery, VineArt
Enjoy some our wines as you relax and create some beautiful art.
341 Broadway Street, Estacada, OR 97023 503-630-7273 thespiralgallery.com
Wednesday November 4th, 6:30pm
Wednesday November 11th, 6:30pm
Wednesday December 9th, 6:30pm
*Check out their website to see the classes going on those days.

Chase Me Again
289 NE 2nd Street Gresham, OR 97030 503-491-8010 chasemeagain.com
Saturday November 7th 5-7pm Open House, tastings, glasses and bottles of our wines will be available. Enjoy some of our wines as you browse their store and help celebrate the opening of their new used bookstore in Gresham.
Check out their website, Sue is a mastermind for creating beautiful things to help out the community.

Larch Mountain Country Artisans
Glenn Otto Community Park
1102 E. Columbia River Hwy, Troutdale, OR 97060 lmca-artisans.com
Friday November 20th 1-7pm
Saturday November 21st 10am-5pm
Sunday November 22 10am-4pm
*also find them on facebook.
***Our wines will be available for bottle sales only.***(great for the holidays and gift giving)***

Country Calico Antiques and Craft Bazaar
13301 SE 172nd, Happy Valley, OR (just south of Sunnyside Road) 503-891-1643
Friday November 27th
Saturday November 28th
Sunday November 29th
I'll having tastings, glasses and bottle sales available.
***I'll have to get you the times, and you can check her out on facebook.***

Three Rivers Artist Guild, Holiday Show
Oregon City Pioneer Community Center, 615 5th Street, Oregon City, OR 97045, find them on facebook.
***Our wines will be available for bottle sales only.***(great for the holidays and gift giving)***

Ok that's the shows for now. In this busy time of year, remember to be most intentional to Relax and Enjoy Life.

Monday, October 26, 2015

We're starting to head into that time of year. The time for holiday shows, they're always so much fun. Here's info on the Holiday Art Show for Three Rivers Gallery in Oregon City. As you know I love, love, love art and am always surrounding myself with it. We will be there with our wines. I'll keep you posted on the other shows too.

Monday, October 19, 2015

Here in Oregon we have an abundance of apples and pears, and oh the NW berries, yum. As you scroll down our Leaning Star wine list, as you make it past our Reds and our Whites, be sure you get to the bottom and check out our fruit wines.

Our Pear Honey Wine goes great with a turkey dinner, and seafood too.

Our apple or Hard Knocks is very nice with pre-dinner cheeses.

Oregon Berry is a mixed berry that goes nice with chocolates and desserts.

Remember to always take time to relax and enjoy life. Have fun with your wines.

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Art is a huge part of what we do around here. This little Italian kitty was the inspiration for my Hard Knocks kitty label. She's to capture the rough and wild, but all too sweet and tender at the same time. Her wide eyes reveal her open honest heart. Ready to be taken and shared or might flee in a fraction of a second.

The wine is much the same, a blend of our apples, honey and herbs. As I've bottled I struggle with the apple wanting to sometime drop a natural sediment. I want to leash it in, but like the wild kitty, it wants to take off, if it so desires.

Thursday, July 16, 2015

The lavender here is in full force. We have it in its own space and as well throughout the flower/herb beds. We have cut a lot of it and I can see it is already sprouting new stems for another crop. If you'd like a bunch or two or three... give me a call. You can come out, cut your own bunches, and take a tour of the winery, gardens and herb shed (aka my woman's cave).

Varieties are Grosso, Melissa, Betty's Blue, Purple Bouquet and Buena Vista. The Grosso has the long long stems, the Melissa has a slight clove fragrance, the Buena Vista has a slight lemon fragrance and the Betty's Blue and Purple Bouquet both have bold beautiful color.

I love this time of year. It's been a beautiful summer so far. We've been all around busy, the home, the garden, the market, and on the land (both at home and out on hikes in the gorge).

Tonight we'll be pouring our wines at Outta The Box (OTB) Auction, 360 NE 219th Ave in Gresham. These are some really nice fun people, come check them out tonight. Doors open at 5:30. See more about them at https://www.facebook.com/otbpdx

Saturday we'll have our wines at Creative Visions Landscapes. They're doing a BBQ and backpack school supply drive, all are invited. This should be a lot of fun too. Their address is 9965 SE Orient Drive in Boring, OR. See more about them at http://creativevisionslandscape.com/

Yesterday afternoon I met up with Amelia Salvador the new market manager this year from the Gresham Farmers Market. Amelia's specialty is marketing and display, so cool. She came out for a visit here at our place and we had a chance to brainstorm on some fun activities for later this summer into fall.

And we're looking at doing some classes out here. More details to come.